Sacrifice
In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
I have always wondered about why God rejected Cain's offering. Isn't his offering as good as Abel? But closer reading of the passage and a better understanding of the consequences of sin will yield an understanding why.
I was reading a comic strip of the exact same story yesterday. It says, and the footnote of the amplified version also says: In bringing the offering he did, Cain denied that he was a sinful creature under the sentence of divine condemnation. He insisted on approaching God on the ground of personal worthiness. Instead of accepting God's way, he offered to God the fruits of the ground which God had cursed. He presented the product of his own toil, the work of his own hands, and God refused to receive it. What we need to understand is that after Adam and Eve sinned, the penalty of sinning is death. God said it clearly in two instances:
By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return."
This is a clear implication that man will die and return as dust to the ground. Even earlier, God says:
but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
And indeed, when man sin, the penalty for sinning is death. And it is a law, that blood debts be paid by blood. That is why God asked the Israelites to smear lamb blood on their door when He was ready to unleash the final plague in Egypt.
So what happens is that because of sin, we are eternally separated from God. The only way to come close to God again is through sacrifice. That is why Abel was able to get his offering accepted. Because he offered the first fruits of his flock. In contrast with Abel, it was not mentioned if Cain offered the first fruit. Highly suspected not. And it is not an offering of blood.
Luckily today, we have no more need to go through all these troubles to make the sacrifices, as the sacrifice was already made once and for all by Jesus, the Lamb of God. But still make no mistake, God still demands the best from us, just that by His grace through Jesus, we have found forgiveness in Him.
I have always wondered about why God rejected Cain's offering. Isn't his offering as good as Abel? But closer reading of the passage and a better understanding of the consequences of sin will yield an understanding why.
I was reading a comic strip of the exact same story yesterday. It says, and the footnote of the amplified version also says: In bringing the offering he did, Cain denied that he was a sinful creature under the sentence of divine condemnation. He insisted on approaching God on the ground of personal worthiness. Instead of accepting God's way, he offered to God the fruits of the ground which God had cursed. He presented the product of his own toil, the work of his own hands, and God refused to receive it. What we need to understand is that after Adam and Eve sinned, the penalty of sinning is death. God said it clearly in two instances:
By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return."
This is a clear implication that man will die and return as dust to the ground. Even earlier, God says:
but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
And indeed, when man sin, the penalty for sinning is death. And it is a law, that blood debts be paid by blood. That is why God asked the Israelites to smear lamb blood on their door when He was ready to unleash the final plague in Egypt.
So what happens is that because of sin, we are eternally separated from God. The only way to come close to God again is through sacrifice. That is why Abel was able to get his offering accepted. Because he offered the first fruits of his flock. In contrast with Abel, it was not mentioned if Cain offered the first fruit. Highly suspected not. And it is not an offering of blood.
Luckily today, we have no more need to go through all these troubles to make the sacrifices, as the sacrifice was already made once and for all by Jesus, the Lamb of God. But still make no mistake, God still demands the best from us, just that by His grace through Jesus, we have found forgiveness in Him.
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